us both to be careful. It is most important that you should
take care of yourself at the present moment. What would happen to Miss
McLeod if I carried you back to the house in a state of total
blindness?"

"Oh, I shall be all right," I declared confidently. "But, of course,
your point is a good one, and I shall not run any risks."

"And yet you start by careering up the river here when we have very
excellent reasons for supposing that it is hardly the place to spend a
quiet afternoon."

"You don't really believe that there is anything curious about the
river itself, do you?" I asked. "We have agreed that some human agency
is responsible for the tragic affliction that has fallen upon poor
Myra. In that case we are not safe anywhere."

"That's true enough," he agreed, "but everything that has happened so
far has happened here. Sooner or later, no doubt, the operations will
be extended to some other region, but at present we know there is a
possibility of our being overcome by some strange peril between the
Chemist's Rock and Dead Man's Pool."

"Well, as we don't know how to deal with the danger when it does
arrive," I suggested, "suppose we see as much as we can from the
banks. I will go up the centre of the stream and report to you, if you
like, but you stay here."

"You'll do nothing of the sort," he cried. "I can't imagine what we
can possibly learn by standing on that rock, but if either of us goes,
we go together, or I, in my capacity of bachelor unattached, go
alone."

Naturally, I could only applaud such generous sentiments, and at the
same time refuse to countenance his proposal. So we sat among the
heather, some distance above the bank, and awaited developments.

"It is four-twenty now," said my companion presently, looking at his
watch. "If anything is going to happen it should happen soon."

"Don't you think it was mere coincidence that Myra's blindness and the
General's strange illusion occurred about this time? Why should this
green ray only be visible between four and five?"

"It hasn't really been visible at all," Garnesk pointed out. "Miss
McLeod saw a green flash, and the General saw a green rock, which had
taken upon itself the responsibilities of transportation. That's all
we know about the green ray, except the green veil that Miss McLeod
tells us of. I don't expect to see that."

"I wish I knew what we did expect to see," I sighed.

"Exactly," he replied solemnly. "By the way," he added